Downplaying Trump’s pressure to pardon Netanyahu, Herzog insists ‘Israel is a sovereign country’

Herzog cited the competing considerations of equal treatment before the law and the unique circumstances involved in individual cases.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

In an interview with Politico, President Isaac Herzog signaled Saturday that he will weigh a pardon request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through Israel’s formal legal process, saying he would act only in a way that reflects “the best interest of the Israeli people.”

His remarks followed weeks of political tension surrounding Netanyahu’s corruption trial and an unprecedented appeal from President Donald Trump urging Herzog to intervene.

Netanyahu submitted a formal request for clemency on November 30. Herzog said his office has now received the application and that it will proceed through the Justice Ministry and his legal advisers.

He called the matter extraordinary and said the welfare of Israel’s citizens remains his “first, second and third priority.”

Herzog also commented on the broader debate over presidential pardons, noting that any preemptive action must be evaluated on its own merits.

He cited the competing considerations of equal treatment before the law and the unique circumstances involved in individual cases.

While Herzog said he appreciates Trump’s friendship and recalled that Israel had appealed to the U.S. president for help returning hostages from Gaza and for securing a U.N. Security Council resolution, he stressed that “Israel, naturally, is a sovereign country, and we fully respect the Israeli legal system and its requirements.”

Herzog declined to speculate publicly on possible consequences if he refused a pardon, saying relations with the United States remain “warm, frank and open.”

In the same interview, Herzog spoke about shifting public attitudes toward Israel in the United States. He attributed some of the hostility to what he described as a “very aggressive PR [machine]” amplified online and supported by allies of Hamas. He said the discourse is often shaped by shallow or misleading content on TikTok and similar platforms rather than by a full understanding of the conflict.

Herzog reiterated his concern for civilians in Gaza, saying he grieves for their suffering but maintained that rebuilding the territory requires removing the terrorists who operate within its cities. He added that Israel must improve the way it explains its actions abroad while continuing to uphold its democratic values and alliances.